Carton carrying and cutting implement



Oct. 7 1958 J. H. SCHUSTER CARTON CARRYING AND CUTTING IMPLEMENT FiledAug. 27, 1956- INVENTOR JHSch u si'e r CARTON CARRYING AND CUTTINGIMPLEMENT John H. Schuster, Simla, Colo.

Application August 27, 1956, Serial No. 606,339

Claims. (Cl. 714.1)

This invention relates to a novel implement whichmay be readily insertedinto a carton to bear against undersides of top flaps of the carton andwhich is provided with a handle which is upwardly offset relative to thetop flaps and which can be conveniently grasped for carrying a sealedcarton and its contents.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of theaforedescribed character a part of which additionally forms a bladewhich is adapted to be utilized for cutting the top flaps or forbreaking the seal between top flaps of the carton to enable the cartonto be readily opened.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an implement whichdue to its unique construction can be readily inserted under top flapsof a carton without breaking the seal connecting the top flaps and sothat the filled carton can be readily carried by the implement whichsupports the carton and its contents solely by contact with the sealedtop flaps of the carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a carryingimplement wherein the implement handle can be conveniently positionedcentrally above the sealed carton and crosswise thereof so that thecarton will be balanced beneath the implement when carried thereby, toenable carrying of the carton with the least manual effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide an implement by means ofwhich a carton, normally requiring the use of both hands for carrying,may be carried with one hand utilizing the implement, so that twocartons may be conveniently carried simultaneously by a person employingtwo of the implements.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a conventional sealed car-ton and showingthe implement in top plan being applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the implement in a fullyapplied position for carrying the carton, and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the two halves of theimplement, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of theimplement, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the carton carrying andcutting implement in its entirety and comprising the invention isdesignated generally 7 and consists of two substantially identicalmembers, designated generally 8 and 9. Accordingly, a description of onewill suflice for both.

Each of the implement halves or members 8 and 9 is rates atent 2,854,678Patented Oct. 7, 1958 'ice formed from an elongated strip of steel andincludes a substantially flat end portion forming a blade 10, anopposite end portion forming a handle, designated generally 11, and anintermediate portion forming a shank 14 which extends between andconnects adjacent ends of the blade and handle. The blade 10 has beveledside edges and in cross section and includes a bottom 15 and spacedsubstantially parallel upstanding walls 16.

The shank 14 is substantially fiat and is'disposed at approximately aright angle to the planes of the blade 10 and handle 11 and has a lowerend merging integrally with the inner end of the blade 10 and an upperend merging integrally with an inner end of the handle 11. Thus, thehandle 11 is upwardly offset with respect to the blade 10, asclearly-illustrated in the drawing. The member 8 or 9 is also providedwith a transversely extending slot 17 which opens outwardly of onelongitudinal edge thereof and which is formed in a part of the bend 18where the inner end of the blade 10 joins with the lower end of theshank 14 and is of'a length slightly greater than one-half the width ofthe blade 10 and shank 14.

The member 8 has an opening 19 formed in the blade 10 adjacent therounded end 13 thereof and the member 9 has an opening 20 formed in theblade 10 thereof and which is spaced a greater distance from its roundedend 13 than the spacing between the rounded end 13 and the opening 19 ofthe member 8. This difference in spacing of the openings 19 and 20 fromthe outer ends 13 of the blades it} constitutes the soledifference-between the implement halves or members 8 and 9.

A conventional carton 21 is illustrated in Figure 1 having side flaps 22which extend from end-to-end thereof, end portions of which overlieandare sealed'to end-flaps 23 of the carton. The side flaps 22 are shownwith their adjacent edges spaced slightly apart to form a slot 24therebetween which is open between the end flaps 23, as is conventionalin connection with many cartons. The blades 10 are inserted through theopen intermediate portion of the slot 24 in opposite directions, asillustrated in Figure 1, so that the blade 10 of the member 8 ispositioned under the intermediate portion of one flap 22 and the blade10 of the member 9 is positioned under the intermediate portion of theother flap 22. The blades 10 are inserted so that the slots 17 of themembers of which said blades form parts will open toward one another,and one of the members is then manipulated by its handle 11 to positionthe slots 17 in'interengaging relation with one another and with thebends 18 which are disposed beyond the inner ends of the slots 17, sothat the shanks 14 will be disposed in abutting engagement with oneanother and so that the blades 10 will be disposed coplanar and inalignment to thus position the handles 11 in alignment and coplanar, asillustrated in Figures 2 and 3. With the implement halves thus connectedtogether and with the blades 10 thereof positioned beneath the flaps 22and crosswise thereof, the two aligned handles 11 can be grasped witheither hand and with two of the fingers straddling the abutting shanks14 for lifting and carrying the carton 21 and its contents by theimplement 7.

It will also be apparent that either half 8 or 9 of the implement 7 maybe utilized, when disconnected from the other implement half, foropening the carton 21, by

the user grasping the handle 11, of the implement half which isemployed, and utilizing the blade as a knife for cutting the sealingconnection between the flaps 22 and 23 with the cutting edge 12. Thecutting edge'12 of the blade 10 can also be employed for cutting off theflaps 22 and 23, if desired. It will'also be apparent that the sharpenedrounded ends 13 ofthe blades 10 may be utilized for penetration of theblades between the flaps 22 where no slot,such as the slot 24, exists,and for providing an opening between the adjacent edges of the flaps 22when sealed together, so that the two implement halves can bemanipulated for arranging them in interconnected relation with oneanother as seen in Figures 2, 3 and 5, for use of the implement halvesas a carrying unit;

The openings 19 and 20 are adapted to be utilized for engaging a hook ornail by Which the implement halves 8 and 9 maybe hung for storage whennot in use. The opening 20 is-spaced a greater distance from the bladeend than the opening 19 so that the blade 10 of the member 9 will bedisposed to overlie the blade 10 of the member 8, when both openings 19and 20 are engaging a nail or hook, not shown, and in order to offsetthe members 8 and 9 relative to one another in a direction lengthwisethereof so that said members 8 and 9 can be conveniently stored inoverlying relation.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resortedto without departing from the function or scope of the invention ashereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An implement formed of corresponding halves each formed from anelongated substantially rigid strip having an elongated substantiallyfiat first end portion forming a blade and an elongated second endportion forming a handle, said implement halves each including anintermediate portion forming a shank, said shank being disposed in alateral position relative to the blade and handle for ofisetting thehandle relative to the blade, said implement halves each having a slotdisposed crosswise thereof and opening outwardly of a side edge of theimplement half at the junction of the shank and blade and extending partway across the shank and blade, said slots interfitting With one anotherfor positioning said shanks in substantial abutting engagement and toposition the 4 blades of the two implement halves in alignment andsubstantially coplanar with one another and for positioning the handlessubstantially in alignment and coplanar to one another, said bladesbeing adapted to engage the undersides of top flaps of a sealed carton,said shanks being adapted to extend outwardly from the blades betweenthe carton flaps for positioning the handles above and spaced from thecarton.

2. An implement as in claim 1, at least one of said blades havingsharpened longitudinal side edges and a sharpened outer end disposedremote from the shank whereby said implement half is adapted to beutilized for cutting and elfecting penetration of the carton.

3. An implement as in claim 1, the strip end of each implement halfforming the handle thereof being bent along two transversely spacedlines to form the handle of channel shaped cross section including abottom portion disposed substantially parallel to the blade andlaterallyspaced upstanding side walls rising from the handle bottom.

4. An implement as in claim 1, said blades having openings spaceddifierent distances from the ends thereof and adapted to be disposed inalignment when the blades and handles of the implement'halves arepositioned in overlying relation.

5. An implement comprising implement halves each including an elongatedsubstantially flat blade, an elongated handle and a shank, the shank ofeach implement half being disposed at substantially a right angle to theblade and handle thereof for oifsetting the handle relative to theblade, said blade and handle extending in opposite directions from theends of the shank, and means for interconnecting said implement halveswith one another for positioning the blades thereof substantially inalignment and coplanar with one another and for positioning the handlessubstantially in alignment and coplanar with one another, said bladesbeing adapted to engage the inner sides of carton flaps, and said shanksbeing adapted to extend outwardly from the blades between the cartonflaps for positioning the handles above and spaced from the carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,608,328 Olson Aug. 26, 1952

